Latest Secrets of Shred

This example demonstrates how to play the B minor pentatonic scale on the E and A strings using two notes on the E string and three notes on the A string. I typically play this using hammer-ons and pull-offs, but it is good to work up to speed with alternate picking as well. The rest of the lesson is based on this pattern, so be sure to get comfortable with this fingering before moving on.

In this lesson, I’ll be demonstrating one of the best ways to transition up and down the neck on the fly. I frequently utilize this technique because it’s easy to play fast and expand into many complex riffs and ideas. The premise of this lesson is based on visualizing the pentatonic scale on one string and expanding it into two, three, or four note patterns using adjacent strings.

In this lesson, I’ll be taking one of the most common sweep picking patterns (EXAMPLE 1) and showing you how to slightly alter it, creating several different arpeggios. It’s a cool way to take something ordinary and give it a more unique sound and vibe.

In this lesson, I’m going to demonstrate some basic string-skipping patterns. These patterns are easy to link up with your pentatonic scales, and I think you’ll find them very useful for adding some flash into your riffs and solos. I’m going to play them separately at first, and then at the end of the lesson, I’ll string them all together into a chord progression.

In this lesson, I’ll be taking the most common pentatonic positions and showing you how to string them together to create ripping-fast riffs and runs. It’s a great way to break out of typical pentatonic licks and is easy to visualize all over the neck.

I’ll be showing you a relatively unknown picking technique used by Eddie Van Halen. It can be heard in countless Van Halen songs, including "I’m the One," "Spanish Fly" and "Jump." This technique is based on a combination of hammer-on notes and alternate-picked notes. Eddie likes to take a fingering pattern and hammer on the notes on one string, then alternate pick the same pattern on an adjacent string.